Love Me Tender
by Shortyblackwell
Summary: The classic tale of forbidden love. A girl has had her hand promised to a Mr. John, yet she loves Richie. When Richie comes home after 6 years to find his old love engaged what will happen? Co-Writen by ECC309
1. Shortyblackwell

"Ow," I said as my Mother tightened my corset.

"Dear, you need to look nice for the boys coming for your party." She said, giving the strings another pull. I took a deep breath, and closed my eyes. My Mother pulled out a thing to measure my waist.

"Wow!" She said, "I wasn't this small when I was your age." She said. I rolled my eyes, and walked over to the wardrobe. Mother pulled out a red dress, and a bow to match. As I got ready, my Mother got out the jewelry for me to wear.

"You are now 14; you are officially a young woman. You will no longer be running, anywhere, you will walk, and I don't want you to help the servants." She said.

"But-" I started.

"NO! I know what you're going to say. My answer's no," She said firmly, "Now, finish getting ready, and meet me down stairs." She said closing the door behind her. I was struggling to put on my shoes, when Richie came in.

"Hello?" He asked, "Your Mother sent me up here to get you," He said, covering his eyes to be polite.

"I'm over here, and covered up! But I need some help," I said, "This stupid dress is too big, I can't get them on!" I plopped in a chair, and sighed.

"Oh," He stumbled over to me, and took my shoes from my hand. He slid them on, and looked a little embarrassed while doing it. As he buckled the last one my Mother came in.

"Dear, I seem to have left my fa-" She stopped and shrieked, "GET OUT OF HERE!" She yelled.

"Yes ma'am," Richie scurried out of the room, and ran home.

"What was he doing in here?" She asked.

"Well, my dress is too big, I couldn't reach my shoe! And he came in, saying you needed me, and he volunteered to help and-" She stopped me.

"Do you know why he "volunteered"?" She asked, I shrugged, "Cause, he is a little RAT! He is a bad character!" She said.

"I'm sorry Mother, I was needing help, and he just kinda came in! I don't even have feelings for him," I said tears streaking my face, "Honest!" I reassured her.

"Alright, but you will not interact with him during this party, you are to marry into good blood. Now, go wipe off your face," She said, "Meet me down stairs," She walked down the steps, and spoke to the guests. I decided to change into something a little less…well less. I went down the stairs to greet everyone. There was no one down there. I heard yelling from my garden. I rushed to see what it was. There were 5 extra large boys picking on the small Richie. I ran over, and tried to grab one of the guy's arms.

"STOP IT!" I yelled. They ignored me. I grabbed his arm again, and this time he pushed me off. I landed on the ground with a hard thud, and hit my arm on the corner of the house. The thud was loud enough for the boys to stop, and see me cradling my arm.

"GET OUT!" I yelled. The boys rushed to leave, and left poor Richie all beaten up, and bleeding.

"Are you alright?" I asked, crawling over to him. He wiped off his nose, and looked at me.

"Yeah, it's probably just nothing," He said.

"Why did they do this?" I asked.

"Well, they saw me coming out of your room, and heard your mum scream at me the way she did, and thought I was "Stealing" You from them, I don't know why, just that they did." He looked at me, and smiled. He looked at me, we began to lean closer.

"MARIE?" My Mother yelled from the ball room where the party was supposed to be. When I didn't answer, she came looking for me. She came to the door just as our lips met, she pulled me away before I could actually get a kiss out of him, but I got close. I got out of her grasp, and ran out to the orchard. I sat down under one of the trees, and began to cry.

That was the last I saw him, he was sent off to become an apprentice, and I was sent off to become a lady. 6 years had passed, but I never forgot him. He was probably already married, and I was promised to someone else. The familiar around of crunching leaves met my ears, and I couldn't believe.

"RICHIE!" I yelled. He smiled, and ran over to me.

"You've grown up!" He said looking at me for a moment.

"You say that like you yourself are still a child!" I said. He laughed. We stood there, just gazing upon one another.

"I thought you had forgotten me!" I said.

He wrapped me in an embrace, and kissed the top of my head, "I could never forget you!"

"Neither could I!" I answered him.

"I thought I would die without you!" I exaggerated.

"It was tough, but I did it!" He smiled at me.

"I missed you," I said.

"I missed you too, listen, and has your mum stopped hating my guts yet?" I shook my head.

"No, in fact she has even promised my hand to another," I said, I buried my head into his chest. He looked at me, and kissed my lips.

"I only expected as much," He said, "I love you, I will not let this wedding happen," He said, "I promise," He whispered. I nodded, and we walked for a while.

"You're the first thing on my wish list, you know, for my birthday. And you're invited." I said smiling.

"Am I really?" I nodded, "And your mum approved of this?" he asked cautiously. I shook my head, she never saw my list, and she just handed it to the one person that wants us to be together for the right reason, your mum." I said.

"RICHARD!" Someone yelled from behind us.

"Oh no," I said. I ran back towards the house.


	2. Ecc309

Elizabeth's POV

"Now, go put Marie's dress on her bed" said the Queen I worked as a maid for.

"Yes mum (ma'am)" I said cutesy-ing and walked off to get the princess, Marie's, dress. It was beautiful but huge! I couldn't stand to have to wear that. I walked up to her room and she was in her bathroom. I set the big dress on the bed as ordered and walked back out. I went downstairs and into the kitchen where my mother worked as a cook. She ran around the kitchen doing many different things.

"Oh, hey, love" she said walking past me. "Oh dear"

"What is it mother?" I said looking at my worried mother.

"We have no butter... would you be a dear and go into town and get some butter?" She asked me.

"Sure, I'm not assigned to do anything right now" my mother handed me some coins and I grabbed my hat and coat. I walked outside and got on the horse and carriage.

"Take me to town" I told the driver, who happened to be my brother.

"Yeah, yeah" he said whipping the reigns. Once we got to town I got off the carriage and said hello to some of the town's people I knew. I walked up and paid for the butter. As I started walking over to the carriage the castle on the other side of town caught my eye. I got up in the carriage and continued to look at it.

"It's pretty isn't it?" I asked my brother not taking my gaze off the palace.

"What?" He asked following my gaze "oh, the castle? Yeah, sure, I'm pretty sure the people who live there are coming to the party." He said placing the the butter in the back.

"Really? I'd love to meet them" I said sighing.

"Wouldn't we all" he said before he whipped the reins and took us back to the castle. We got there and I was about to walk in the door with my brother when I saw Marie running away crying, or at least running the best she could in that dress. I handed the butter to my brother.

"Go give this to mother" he took it nodding and walked inside. I ran over to Marie and knelt down to her as she sat on the ground, leaned against a tree, sobbing into her knees.

"Oh my" I said putting my hand on her shoulder. "What's wrong?" She looked up at me with tear stained eyes.

"My life" she said, I gave a weird look.

"What?"

"My life" she repeated. "My life is what's wrong!" She said getting louder.

"Tell me everything" I said sitting down next to her.

"Well I was there with Richie and he just got beat up!"

"Elizabeth!" I heard the queen yell.

"Coming, your highness!" I yelled back. "Look I have to go. You can tell me later, ok?" I said to my best friend.

"Yes... I understand" she said sadly. I kissed her forehead friendly and ran off to the queen who has standing at a mess of broken glass and a bit of blood... I shivered.

"Clean up this mess" she said giving the mess disgusting look.

"Yes mum (ma'am)" I said bending over and picking up some pieces of glass as the queen walked away. I picked up another piece and cut my hand. "Ow!" I said dropping the piece of glass. I inspected my hand when I heard a male voice say.

"Are you alright?" I turned back and saw a young man about my age. He extended his hand out to me. I smiled and took it with my well hand. When he pulled me up we were really close. I blushed and backed up a little. "Here" he said pulled out a handkerchief. "Lets put this on it, maybe it will stop the blood and then we can go clean it up." He said as he started to wrap the handkerchief around my hand.

"Thank you, you are very kind." I said quietly.

"Oh it's no problem." he said as he gently tied the handkerchief so it would stay.

"So, where you from?" I asked once he was done to prevent awkward silence.

"I live in the castle on the other side of town." I gasped lightly.

"That's yours?!" He chuckled.

"Well it's not mine.. I just live there." He said with a playful eye roll.

"Is it just you?" I asked.

"No it's my mother, Julia, my aunt, Mimi, and me."

"Oh, that's nice.. are they here too?" He nodded. I nodded in return and started to walk inside when he grabbed my arm.

"Where are you going?" I held up my wounded hand, showing that I was going to go take care of it. "Oh" he said embarrassed. He let go of my arm and I pecked his cheek and hurried inside.


End file.
